


the rain's the rain

by Stromesquad



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 08:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17957396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stromesquad/pseuds/Stromesquad
Summary: The first time Mikey drags Dylan out to play in the rain they are 4 and 5 respectively. It’s the middle of summer and everything is muddy.





	the rain's the rain

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alcoholandregret](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alcoholandregret/gifts).



> Esen,  
> I hope you love this as much as you are loved.

The first time Mikey drags Dylan out to play in the rain they are 4 and 5 respectively. It’s the middle of summer and everything is muddy.

 

“Dyl! Dyl! Come on! Let’s go make mud pies! I bet we can get Matty to eat one!”

 

Dylan doesn't really like the rain. He doesn't like the way the droplets sting when they get in his eyes or the way they sit on your skin and build up together until you’re drenched. He doesn't like the way your clothes cling to you or the way your shoes fill up with water and feel like they're never gonna dry again. But it's Mikey asking and Dylan would do pretty much anything Mikey said.

 

So out into the rain he goes. He trudges home an hour later, miserable and covered in mud.

 

“Dylan what were you doing? Why are you all muddy and wet? Why did you go play in the rain?” His mom asks when he gets home.

 

He doesn't want to tell her about the way he'd do anything for Mikey. He doesn't know why but he doesn't wanna say so he just shrugs.

 

“You're tracking mud all over. Take off your shoes and your clothes here and get in the bathroom. I'll be in after I put these in the wash. But you have to clean your own shoes tomorrow.”

 

Dylan nods. That won't be fun. He's not very fond of mud either.

 

But it was worth it to see Mikey smile like that.

 

*.*

 

Dylan and Mikey are 13 and 12 and they’re walking home from school when it starts to pour. It’s the beginning of March and while it’s warmer than it should be, it’s still probably colder than it should be for standing out in the rain. They’re almost to the coffee shop that’s halfway between school and home so Dylan tugs on Mikey’s arm.

 

“Come on! I’ll buy you a hot chocolate,” he says.

 

“No!” Mikey pleads. “Let’s stay out! It’s not that cold and it’s been so long since it rained!”

 

“It snowed,” Dylan says matter-of-factly.

 

“It’s not the same and you know it. There’s nothing like the rain. Come on Dyls! For me?”

 

Dylan turns to look at him and Mikey’s eyes are wide and Dylan can’t say no. He lets Mikey drag him the long way home.

 

When they get there, his mom sighs. “Dylan you could have waited. I would have come get you.”

 

“Mikey wanted to walk so…” he trails off and shrugs.

 

“Oh, Dylan,” she says. “I’ll go get you a towel.”

 

The next morning he wakes up shivering, throat sore, head pounding. His mom takes one look at him and grabs the thermometer and takes his temperature. It’s 101*.

 

“You are not going to school today. I’ll go call them.” And she leaves Dylan in his room. He burrows under the covers further. He takes his phone from off the bedside table. He texts Mikey.]

 

_ Too sick for school _

 

**Mikey:** _ Me too _

 

_ I’m going back to sleep _

 

He sets his phone back down, rolls over and goes back to sleep.

 

He wakes up around noon head still pounding, body sore, but he makes his way downstairs for some soup and some gatorade. When he’s done, he lays down on the couch.

 

It’s raining again.

 

His phone buzzes.

 

**Mikey:** _ I’m booooooored come over _

 

_ I have the flu _

  
**Mikey:** _ Me too. Come over anyway _

 

Dylan sighs and looks over at the door. Maybe being sick with someone else would suck a little less. He stands up and starts putting on his shoes when his mom walks into the living room.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” She asks, eyebrows raised.

 

“Mikey’s.”

 

“Absolutely not Dylan. You have the flu and it’s raining.”

 

“Please, mom? I’m bored.”

 

“I’m sorry bud, but no going out when you’re this sick.”

 

Dylan sighs and trudges back over to the couch.

 

“I’ll make you some soup and we can watch a movie together okay?”

 

“Okay.”

 

As she walks out of the room, Dylan thinks braving the rain would be worth it for Mikey.

 

*.*

 

Dylan is 16 and Mikey is 15 and it’s the summer. It’s the very end of August and Dylan is packing his things to go to his first training camp for Erie. It’s the first time he’s ever really going to be away from home. Mikey’s sitting on Dylan’s bed kicking his feet out into the air.

 

“So you’re gonna have to tell me all about what the OHL is… HEY! Hey Dyl! Look! It’s raining!”

 

Dylan looks out the window and it is. It’s one of those summer storms that rolls in quick before you even realize it’s happening.

 

“Let’s go outside!”

 

“I have so much to pack,” Dylan says.

 

“Please! We don’t know when we’re gonna get to do this again.”

 

He looks at Mikey and Mikey’s brows are knit together and mouth turned down and Dylan never wants Mikey to look sad like that ever again.

 

“Okay,” he relents. “Let’s go.”

 

He reaches out a hand and pulls Mikey up off the bed. Mikey doesn’t let go until they’re in the backyard. He throws his head back, eyes closed, arms out wide and lets the rain hit him.

 

Something warm stirs in Dylan’s chest and he tries to hold on to this image and store it away for when he’s lonely and hundreds of miles away from home and missing his best friend. This is a good way to remember Mikey. Rain falling, joy on his face.

 

Eventually Mikey turns back to face Dylan, smile crooked.

 

“I’m gonna…” Mikey trails off. He reaches up and touches Dylan’s cheek. “I’m gonna…”

 

And Mikey leans in and kisses Dylan. It’s not gentle. There’s some force behind it like Mikey’s been saving up the strength to do this for a long time.

 

For all its force, it’s over almost as quickly as it began and Mikey’s saying. “I gotta go,” and sprinting out of the yard.

 

Dylan touches his lips for a brief moment and thinks about going after Mikey but he doesn’t know what he’d do or say. So he heads back into the house and goes back to packing.

 

*.*

 

They never go back out in the rain again.

 

*.*

 

Dylan is 22 and he hasn’t been out in the rain intentionally since he was 16. He’s sitting at a coffee shop in Chicago looking out the window at the people passing by and it starts to rain. He doesn’t know what makes him do it but he gets up, puts his cup in the bin, and walks outside. He makes his way down to the lake and just stands as the rain starts to come down harder and harder and he’s soaking wet.

 

His clothes are clinging to him in the way he hates. The water is dripping in his eyes. And he knows he’s always hated the rain but he stands there anyway, looking out over the water.

 

Mikey always loved the rain. Mikey always loved the rain and always loved making Dylan go out in the rain with him but then they stopped and Dylan’s missed it.

 

He’s missed standing in the rain with Mikey. He’s missed the way Mikey smiles as a storm rolls in, the look on his face as he would tip his head back and let it fall.

 

And they never do it anymore. They haven’t done it in years.

 

And Dylan misses the rain and he misses Mikey more than he’s ever missed anything or anyone in his life.

 

He thinks about that last time he was in the rain. He thinks about how Mikey’s lips felt on his and how he maybe should have kissed him back but that wasn’t a thing he knew he could want back then. It wasn’t a thing he knew he could have.

 

But he knows better now. He knows better now. And he loves Mikey. And maybe, maybe he should do something about it now, if it’s not too late.

 

He’s not supposed to be home for another three weeks but he books a last minute flight, packs a bag, and heads to the airport. He texts his mom as he walks down the gangway. She’ll pick him up when he lands.

 

Dylan spends the whole flight trying to keep his hands from shaking.

 

*.*

 

“Didn’t expect you home so soon,” his mom says as he slides into the car.

 

Dylan shrugs, “Something came up.”

 

“Well, I’m always glad to see you sweetie. How long are you staying?”

 

“Just tonight and tomorrow. I have to be back for a team thing.”

 

“Want anything special for dinner tonight?”

 

“Whatever you wanna do is fine. Thanks for picking me up so last minute.”

 

“It’s no problem.”

 

The rest of the ride is quiet. Dylan watches the clouds gather to the west and it’s kind of fitting.

 

The rain waits until Dylan is walking to Mikey’s. The sky opens up and Dylan’s alone in the rain for the second time today.

 

It’s Mikey who answers the door when Dylan rings the bell.

 

“Hey Dyl!” Mikey smiles wide at him. “Do you wanna come in?”

 

“I was thinking. I was thinking about the rain and how you love the rain and how you never drag me out in it anymore. Why did you stop?”

 

Mikey leans on the doorframe. “I don’t know, you always complained about it anyway so I figured why keep making you do something you hated.”

 

“I didn’t hate it though. Not really.”

 

Mikey looks towards the sky.

 

“Why did you really stop?” Dylan asks.

 

“I just…” he trails off and sighs.

 

“Come out in the rain with me, Mikey.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Come on, just do it. For me?” Dylan tries his best to mimic the wide eyed, hopeful look Mikey always used to give him.

 

“That’s the saddest excuse for puppy dog eyes I’ve ever seen. Fine, I’ll come out in the rain with you.”

 

They go for a walk and stop in the park where they used to play. Mikey sits down on the swing.

 

“What’s going on?” Mikey asks as Dylan stands in front of him.

 

“I have to…” Dylan takes deep breath. And like Mikey did to him all those years ago, Dylan places a hand gently against Mikey’s cheek and kisses him.

 

It’s hesitant and just as Dylan starts to pull away, Mikey grabs him by the shirt and pulls him back in.

 

They kiss for what feels like forever and no time at all. When they break apart, Dylan rests his forehead against Mikey’s.

 

“I’m sorry it took me so long.”

 

“Knew you’d get there eventually. But really Dyl, in the rain?”

 

“It’s you. It was always going to be the rain.”

 

*.*

 

It rains on their wedding day and at the end of the night, the photographer catches them kissing in the rain, suits drenched, hair a mess.


End file.
